


The Truth Hidden in Plain Sight...

by AllHallowsEve



Series: Wincest Colored Glasses [28]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Anger, Angst, Confusion, Desire, Emotional Hurt, Episode: s02e06 No Exit, Fear, Guilt, Hope, Jealousy, Love, M/M, Misunderstandings, Pining, Pre-Slash, Wincest - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-21
Updated: 2018-08-21
Packaged: 2019-06-30 20:19:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,676
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15758967
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AllHallowsEve/pseuds/AllHallowsEve
Summary: The boys accidentally get in the middle of Jo and Ellen's feud.  Dean's guilt rains all over a case and Sam completely misunderstands what is going on, all while fighting the ghost of America's first serial killer.Season 2 Episode 6 as viewed through Wincest colored glasses.





	The Truth Hidden in Plain Sight...

**Author's Note:**

> This one has of tons of angst for all different reasons. The boys are not on the same page while being exactly on the same page. I hope you enjoy this one.

Sam and Dean walked out to the Impala, after staying the night in the bunks, out behind the Roadhouse, that Ellen had graciously agreed were theirs, whenever they needed a place to stay.  Dean told Sam about a case, his face completely serious but then Sam realized it was a joke about Katie Holmes having been kidnapped by an evil cult.  Sam laughed in surprise, the chuckle ended in a slow fading smile.  He loved when Dean was in a good mood.  He wasn’t sure why his brother’s attitude was so jovial, after Sam confessed his connection with the demon to  
Ellen the night before, he was sure Dean was going to rail against him about it once they were alone, but to his surprise, Dean hadn’t been grouchy or grumpy at all once they hit the bunks.

The room was kind of dusty, but by no means the worst place they had ever stayed.  The bunks were actually pretty comfortable and the brothers had ended up playing cards until late in the evening.  Dean didn’t even get drunk, which shocked Sam, since he basically had access to all the free booze he wanted at the Roadhouse.  Sam wasn’t sure if it was because Dean felt guilty over the confession Andy had pulled from him about being scared about Sam’s powers or what, but Dean was being much more attentive, almost like he used to be back when Sam was little.

It kept giving Sam warm fuzzy feelings as Dean would cackle and preen if he won a hand, and would pretend he was pissed off if Sam beat him instead.  Sam felt off kilter, like there was something going on that he hadn’t been read in on, but he couldn’t quite pick up what it was.  He kept getting the feeling that Dean wanted to say something, but never quite did and Sam hadn’t want to ruin the great time they were having by pressing his brother. 

It had been a rare night off, and Sam kept waiting for the other shoe to drop.  The first hour or so that they were hanging out Sam kept expecting Dean to slip off to go be with Jo, but that never happened.  And Sam could tell, by Dean’s behavior that he had no intention of doing so.  When Sam had been a kid and Dean had plans with a female, Dean would get restless during the time leading up to his leaving.  Like he tried to make Sam feel safe and secure before he left, but like he couldn’t get out of the room fast enough either.  But last night, he never got antsy, the tell tale signs of his imminent departure never showed up at all.  Dean actually seemed happy to just hang out and play cards. 

But Sam had kept catching Dean looking at him with this strange small wistful smile when his brother didn’t think he was looking.  It made Sam feel nervous, unsure, and unsteady, but also happy for some reason that he just didn’t quite understand.

They had played and kidded and joked about all kinds of things until Sam could barely keep his eyes open.  He was having such a good time that he hadn’t wanted it to end, but Dean finally said, “Time for bed Sammy,” and it had instantly woken his system back up and caused his dick to get hard all at once.  He tried desperately to hide his problem until Dean turned around and then Sam fled out the door saying he had to go take a leak hoping that his brother hadn’t noticed anything untoward.

Dean was already in his own bunk with his eyes closed, by the time Sam came back through the door.  The sleepy warm smile Dean had given him upon his return hurt his heart and might have given him another boner if he hadn’t just stripped himself almost raw with how quick he jerked himself to fruition in the john of the bar.  He had come with thoughts of all the ways Dean had touched him gently over the past few days, and how much more he wanted his brother to touch him in not so gentle ways, but could never have.

Dean had been a little quiet this morning, not sullen but not boisterous either.  So Sam was caught off guard by the dead pan delivery of Dean’s joke.  He studied him momentarily across the roof of the car, trying to figure out what in the world was up with his brother.  He still didn’t want to push and ruin it so he decided to play along by saying, “That’s funny,” his cheek dimpled with how hard he was having to fight himself to not keep grinning.  “And, for you, so bitchy.”

Before anything more could be said by either brother, they heard female voices raised and the sound of things clattering around from inside the Roadhouse.  They went inside to see what the commotion was about.  They walked in and Ellen made it clear that they needed to turn around and walk right back out the way they had come, but Jo told them to stay, that she wanted to know what they thought about the issue.  A family of tourists entered and interrupted the fight further, but almost immediately left after picking up on the awkward hostility in the room.  Once the family was gone, before anymore could come of the argument, the phone began to ring. 

Ellen answered it and while she was distracted, Jo handed a case file to Dean about a young woman that had gone missing three weeks earlier from a Philadelphia apartment.  As Dean perused the file, Jo explained that over the past 80 years six women had vanished from the same building, all young blondes.  Dean asked if Ash put the file together, because it was a hell of a lot of deductive work and very well organized, but Jo told him she had done it all herself.  Sam could tell by the way Dean fought to keep his face blank and gave only a non committal hmm that his brother was impressed.

It made Sam’s jealousy roar loudly inside his head but he had to admit that they had hit the road on a lot less intel before.  Ellen heard him say so reluctantly to Dean and she told them to take the case themselves over the top of Jo’s protests. 

They boys took off towards Philadelphia.  Sam fumed for a while over Jo and his fears about what might be developing between her and his brother.  Dean hadn’t really done any of the normal things he was used to in indication of interest for the young blonde, and yet Sam couldn’t seem to leave his fears behind. 

If Dean connected with Jo, there was actually a potential for a long term relationship there.  There would be no need for Dean to lie about what he did, or have to explain mysteriously about where he was going or what he was doing for long days on the road.  And if the row back at the Roadhouse was any indication, Jo wanted to become a hunter.  If that happened, and she and Dean were to hook up, it could get very serious, so serious Sam would literally be a third wheel.  His mind began to spin in a very negative direction until Dean spoke up.  “I can hear your brain’s gears clanking and whining over there.” 

“What’s on your mind, Sammy?”  Dean tilted his head in Sam’s direction and quirked an eyebrow.

Sam panicked, he had no answer and tried to cover it up but failed pretty miserably.

“Nothing…” he swallowed hard around the angst and fear that had built up suddenly since leaving the Roadhouse. 

Dean turned his face towards Sam a little more and said “Uh huh,” in a clearly disbelieving tone.

Sam knew he had to come up with something, his brother wouldn’t leave him alone if he thought there was something he should know that Sam wasn’t sharing, especially now with all the demon stuff going on.

“I was just thinking about Jo…”

Dean’s eyebrows scrunched up.

Sam swallowed and tried to come up with anything that would get Dean to back off, “And Ellen’s fight.  It reminded me of how Dad and I used to go at it so much when I was younger.”

“Huh.”  Dean sounded like he believed the lie.

“Yeah, I can see that.”

Dean’s voice got lower, and came out with a kind, compassionate tone, “It makes sense that it brought up bad memories.”

Sam felt horribly guilty.  Here he was being selfish about not wanting Dean to be with someone who might actually make his brother’s life better, happier, and Dean was all concerned over him.  He knew he was the worst brother in the history of the world. 

The brothers spent the rest of the trip discussing the facts of the case that Jo had put together and trying to prepare as best as they could for what they might potentially be facing.

They broke in easily to the missing girl’s apartment and Sam tried to do penance for his earlier selfish feelings by telling Dean he felt guilty for snaking Jo’s case.  His heart didn’t want to really hear what Dean might have to say in response, but he listened intently for any indication of how Dean might feel about her while trying to look like he was completely transfixed on the E.M.F. meter in his hands.

As Dean walked passed Sam’s back, he commented somewhat blandly, “Well, maybe she put together a good file, but could you see her out here working one of these things?  I don’t think so.”

Sam’s heart raced, maybe there wasn’t anything to worry about after all.  Worst case scenario, Dean might have a regular bang with the blonde but no way he would give up that life to settle down with anyone, and he wouldn’t drag someone he didn’t trust could handle herself out on the road. 

Dean asked him if he was getting anything and Sam realized he had just been staring at his equipment and not doing the very thing they were there to do.  He quickly began moving the instrument around and said, “No not yet.”

Sam’s internal churning was put on hold when his eyes caught a glimpse of a dark substance oozing from one of the wall sockets.  Dean came over and again cracked a joke, but this one fell flat because Sam was seriously worried about the majorly pissed off spirit it would take to manifest the amount of ectoplasm he was seeing. 

Dean seemed to take it in stride and insisted they would just take out the thing before it hurt anymore girls.

The two walked out of the apartment to go load up on ammunition from the trunk but were surprised to hear Jo coming down the hall talking to the building manager.  Sam’s heart fell and his stomach churned when she came right up to Dean and put her arm around his waist, acting like she was his girlfriend to convince the manager they were looking to rent the apartment.  What really screwed with Sam’s temper was how she introduced him as Dean’s ‘buddy.’  His teeth ground together in response.

Sam could tell by Dean’s behavior he wasn’t quite happy about the circumstances, but Sam assumed it was just because now they would be in trouble with Ellen, not because his brother was that unhappy to see the blonde.  Sam’s brow furrowed in confusion, and then dropped into a neutral look to hide the fury he felt about this blindside.

The group retrieved their belongings from the Impala and set up shop in the missing girl’s apartment that Jo had paid for with a giant wad of cash.  Sam sat at the table and began to clean the gear, focusing on one of the sawed off shotguns that would hold the rock salt rounds he had been filling.  He was quietly working, not sure how to deal with the state of affairs, while Jo and Dean had a small argument about her being there.  He tried to keep his face neutral whenever she looked at him, but he felt like throwing up or punching the wall.

The phone rang in Dean’s pocket and Dean walked away from the table a couple of paces saying, “Oh hi, Ellen.”

Sam stood up from the table as if he could give Dean some kind of support while he faced the mother’s wrath.  He watched powerlessly as Jo went over and got into Dean’s face arguing with him in vicious whispers that he shouldn’t give her secret up.  His felt like he had taken a gut punch as his brother stated calmly, “I haven’t seen her.”

Jo’s vibrant smile made Sam feel even more squeamish as he watched Dean stare down into her eyes. 

The three got to work, going over the schematics, Sam and Jo sitting at the small table while Dean paced behind Jo.  The brothers drilled her for information and she answered each question with plenty of intel.  When she explained that there had been no violent deaths in the last 82 years unless you count a janitor who slipped on a wet floor, the brother’s laughed a breathy chuckle in unison. 

Jo asked without looking at Dean, “Would you sit down please?”

Sam’s eyes jerked upwards in curiosity wondering what his brother’s smart mouth response would be.  Dean’s own eyes sought Sam’s out before reacting to the request, silently acquiescing without any snark or disagreement, which provoked Sam’s ire, making his jaw clench tightly.  Sam’s eyes dropped to the table in front of him causing him to completely miss the mischievous grin Dean gave the back of Jo’s head, indicating that annoying payback would be given at some point in the future.

Dean grilled Jo over what follow up she had done with police reports and the like.  She answered thoroughly and when she said, “I know what I am doing,” Dean’s immediate response was “I think the jury’s still out on that one.”

Sam had to fight to control the satisfied grin which burst forth from his face at his brother’s dig at the young woman, struggling to return to neutral.

In realizing they now had no clue what the bad guy might be in this case and that the entire building would need to be searched, Dean insisted that Jo go with him.  Sam’s jaw hurt so much from the constant clenching and his teeth grinding together, but he couldn’t seem to stop.  He hated that his brother wanted to spend time with Jo on this hunt.  His rational brain tried to tell him that it was because Dean felt responsible to make sure she didn’t get hurt, but his jealousy had him convinced that it was because he just wanted to spend time with her.  To see what hunting with her could be like.  Sam’s runaway fears had him thinking about a future where they were already married and she would be watching his brother’s back instead of Sam.

The part of his brain that had always told him he should get away from Dean, as far as he could so as to protect Dean from his dark desires, thought this was a perfect solution for that problem.  But that part was drowned out by his heart breaking over the potential of his brother no longer needing or wanting him there by his side, because he was replaced by this short stubborn blonde that seemed a perfect foil for Dean.

Sam brooded about it the entire time he searched his designated part of the building.  They reconvened back in the apartment that night, Sam taking the sofa, Dean a too small, leather recliner while Jo got the bed.  First thing the next morning Sam went out for coffee and food, not being able to stand one more minute in the apartment with Jo. 

He burst back into the room minutes later empty handed, looking first to Jo, and then examining his brother.  Sam’s face fell as his eyes took in the tableau. It was obvious he had interrupted something because Dean had his serious vulnerable face on.  It did nothing to help his mood, in fact it solidified his belief that they were getting closer and his brother might be opening up to her in ways he never would to Sam.  Dean grumbled at him asking where the coffee was, but Sam just explained unhappily, that there were cops outside because another girl had disappeared.

Sam and Jo stayed in the apartment while Dean went back out to find any intel he could about what happened.  The girl’s apartment had cracks all in the walls and there was ectoplasm left there as well.  It let them know that the bad guy was definitely in the walls somehow, but didn’t get the group any closer to figuring out who or what it might be, until Jo noticed in one of the old photos that the building next door to where the apartments were looked like an old prison.  A quick call to Ash confirmed her suspicions and also told them that they used to hang prisoners in the empty lot where the apartment was later built. 

She had Ash send her a list of all the people who had been hanged there and the boys knew they had to find a way to narrow it down when a daunting 157 names showed up on it.  Sam scrolled through the names and one stood out to him, Herman Webster Mudgett.  It caused his brow to furrow in recognition but it took him a moment to realize why.  He said the name out loud.

Jo asked puzzled “Yeah?”

Instead of answering her, he ignored her, turning his head away from Jo towards his brother. Dean was hunched down closely, looking over Sam’s shoulder examining the computer screen.  The nearness of his brother usually distracted Sam, but it heartened him this time, because Dean could just as easily have been hovering over Jo instead. 

Sam’s mind sorted through all the information stored within, and suddenly the realization hit him and he looked up at Dean incredulously, “Wasn’t that H.H. Holmes’ real name?”

Dean took over the laptop and dug into the research, agreeing with Sam, telling him that Holmes was indeed documented to have been executed at the prison in question back in 1896.  Sam was over the moon, he had studied this guy and the brothers had discussed the case at length back when Sam was in high school and first began studying serial killers.  Jo had no idea who he was and the brothers filled her in and drove home the point that she was indeed just the murder’s type.

They also explained that this wasn’t going to be an easy salt and burn because Holmes had been interred in layers of concrete upon his death so that no one could mutilate his corpse.  Sam realized something else too, remembering that Holmes had built an apartment building in Chicago that had secret rooms and hidden chambers inside the walls, with trapdoors and other torture elements.  This revelation made the group realize that the newest missing girl might actually still be alive, trapped somewhere in the walls.

Dean and Jo teamed up again, much to Sam’s dismay.  He took the first floor busting his way into the hidden passages.  Dean and Jo broke into one of the walls on their assigned floor and traveled as far back into the recesses as they could, but Dean was stymied when the passageway became too small for him to fit.  Jo insisted she go on alone, since she could still get through the tighter gap.  Dean didn’t like it, but knew they had to put a stop to this madman’s ghost as quickly as possible and hopefully find the girl alive if they could get to her fast enough.  They kept in touch using cell phones as she continued to search along the hidden area. 

She told him she was going down some kind of air duct when the passageway ended, and he told her he would come to her from another way.

Dean was making his way down the stairs to where the schematics indicated he would be able to find a meeting point with her when she said “Oh God,” into the phone and Dean heard a scream and nothing else.  He ran down the rest of the steps and through the halls till he came to the point he had been headed.  He busted through a wall there with the sledgehammer he had been using and found her cell dropped in the passageway.

Sam was heading back to find the other two, after his search rendered no useful information about the ghost nor the missing girl, when Dean barreled right into his shoulder from down the other corridor.  Dean barely stopped his forward momentum just long enough to explain Holmes had Jo.  His brother was incensed, which just served to assure Sam that Dean actually cared for her, she wasn’t going to be just another lay for Dean.  Sam’s heart pounded.  He couldn’t remember the last time he saw Dean this freaked out.  He guessed it was the last time their dad had been in danger.

Sam tried to calm Dean, assuring him they would find her, but nothing was deflating the elder Winchester’s panic.  Dean’s tone rose to a loud yell when he angrily stated that they had been searching the walls all night and none of the other girls had been there and Jo wouldn’t be either.

Sam tried to remain calm, he knew they had to get Jo and hopefully the other girl back too, but his nerves were ragged with how upset Dean was, and what it indicated about his brother’s feelings.  Sam tried to think clearly, telling Dean they had to take a beat and think about this, as they made their way back into the apartment they had been sharing with Jo.

Sam began going back through the paperwork and the blueprints from the apartment.  He had to figure something out in order to get to the young women soon.  He tried to swallow down his own selfish feelings and fears, but Dean’s angry worry beat against Sam’s skin like raven’s wings.  Dean’s phone began to ring in his pocket and Sam was momentarily relieved of his brother’s intensity while he turned to answer the phone.  That distraction was short lived however when it became obvious it was Ellen on the other end.  Dean tried to obfuscate but finally had to admit that the ghost had Jo and promised that they would get her back.

Sam watched his brother’s body language clearly strung out with worry as he ended the call.  He tried to convince Dean to not beat himself up, but it didn’t help in the slightest.

Sam began to describe what he had found about the old murder castle in Chicago and about its basement that was one of Holmes main torture chambers, and then explained that even though this apartment didn’t have a basement, the blueprints indicated there was an old sewer system below the building.  Dean didn’t allow Sam to even finish his description before he insisted “Let’s go,” and grabbed their gear as he headed out the door.

As they walked, Dean listened to Sam try to alleviate his guilt, but his brother just didn’t understand, couldn’t understand how Dean felt.  Dean’s soul was heavy.  Jo had been his responsibility.  He had felt sorry for her on so many levels that it got the better of him.

Sam wasn’t the only one that Jo’s fight with Ellen reminded too intensely of Sam’s fighting with their father.  How many times had Dean had to leave Sam behind when he begged to be allowed to come on a hunt with Dean and John?  It had broken his heart each and every time.   He had wanted to protect Sam and sometimes he felt John was right to not let his little brother join the hunts, but other times, when they were easy salt and burns, Dean had felt John was wrong to not let Sam join in. _How was supposed he to learn without getting his hands dirty?_  

So when Jo had argued with Ellen, it had brought all those big brother memories flooding back for Dean.  When Sam had told him in the car, about his own memories of fighting with John, images had flooded Dean’s mind, of how much he had loved his little brother and how fierce Sam had looked when he would scream at John, and how part of him had always admired Sam for standing up to his father that way, even when it had ended up hurting them both.

He knew it was those memories that had helped softened his decision when he was faced with Jo in the apartment.  He didn’t want to crush her fighting spirit the way Sam’s soul had been crushed by John so often.  He should have stopped her though, it hadn’t lessened Sam’s eventual mastering of hunting to be kept out of it a while.

Sam was the best fighter Dean had ever known, smarter than John, able to pull answers about cases together from his memory and it never ceased to amaze Dean.  Jo’s putting this case together and being driven to do this for her dad, it had convinced Dean that he could look out for her, the way he had always tried to do for Sam.   He chastised himself.  He should have known better than to let her stay for this.  He wanted to talk all this through with Sam but knew he couldn’t.

Dean feared if he tried to tell any of this to Sam, somehow his desperate love for Sam and its basis in why this had all turned to shit would bleed through in the explanation.  It was all mixed up in his head now.  He had been in such a good mood about his suspicions that Sam wanted him in return that he was feeling softer and more nostalgic when they had first heard the fight between Jo and Ellen.  It had colored the situation and caused his guard to be down about this case.  He had made the mistake of letting her stay because he felt he could protect her and give her a shield that Sam hadn’t always gotten to have.  She reminded him too much of his little brother and his big brother response had kicked in too much instead of his cold hunter instincts.

And truth be told, he had felt bad for her, because he felt like she had a crush on him that he had somewhat encouraged when he was feeling low about his own desires for Sam.  He had kept the flirting going because he wanted an outlet to relieve his desires for Sam, for how much he wanted his brother and how much he felt it was bad and wrong and he needed to try to forget and she was exactly the type of person he had always tried to forget with.  But now, everything had shifted, his perspective had changed and he had hope, something he had never ever allowed himself to have before.  Hope that maybe Sam really did indeed harbor these same wrong illicit feelings for his brother that Dean had.   But now there was this thing from Jo, and he didn’t want to hurt her, and so he had let that guilt of not being able to return the crush cause him to make a huge mistake. 

Because of all this mess inside himself, he couldn’t fill Sam in on why he felt so guilty, but he did, feel desperately guilty for all these reasons.  If something happened to Jo, it would be his fault, not only for letting her out of his sight in the walls, but for being so caught up in happiness from hope over Sam, that he let her come be a part of the hunt in the first place.  _He was so fucked._  

The weight of his shame and self reproach made his shoulders hang heavy as he walked slowly next to Sam while his brother used the metal detector along the back alley behind the apartment looking for any indication of the old sewer.  They ended up in a dried up field and Dean began to dig where Sam pointed. He didn’t stop until he uncovered a hidden entryway down into the darkness.  Both brothers took a sawed off shotgun and climbed down into the dank opening.

They crawled through tiny tunnels until they finally ended up at a gate to the larger central area that had been shown under the apartment as the potential for where Holmes might be keeping the women.  Dean saw the apparition and called out to get its attention as he unloaded an explosion of rock salt into it through the opening in the gate.  It blew the ghost backwards into one of the tunnel offshoots where it disappeared. 

Dean called out to Jo and as he worked to free her from the tiny confinement in the wall, Sam went over to find where the other woman might be held.  He saw her eyes through a tiny opening and once Dean had managed to free Jo, he used the same crowbar to free the other captive.  She flew into Sam’s arms and as he held her, he heard Dean tell Jo reluctantly that they were going to use her as bait to draw out the psychotic ghost.

She sat in the center of the area where all the other tunnels converged and waited.  The brothers hunkered down out of sight.  They had quickly surrounded the edges of the entire central area except for the opening the ghost had been blown back through.  Once it appeared and entered the central chamber, the brothers shot at the last part of the trap in unison, completing the final area of salt necessary to keep the ghost from escaping, effectively locking the spirit in the room it had used to hold its victims over the past 80 years.

The trio climbed out of the sewer into the fresh air, followed by the sounds of the ghost’s tormented screams.  Once they were above ground Dean disappeared to go get the final part of their plan to keep the ghost from escaping.  Sam was relieved that his brother hadn’t sent him on that quest.  He stood guard over the sewer entrance and asked Jo if the job was as glamorous as she had thought it would be.  She made a quip about the pee in your pants horror that went with the job before proudly explaining that the missing girl they had found would live a life because of them. 

She then asked Sam what would happen if a storm washed the salt away or someone else found the sewer down there.  Sam smugly told her that was why they were waiting at the opening.  When she asked what they were waiting for, as he had known she would, his grin turned up again, so deep this time it caused a dimple, as he cocked his head back towards the faint beeping, growing louder, moving towards them down the alley, indicating Dean had returned.

Jo looked up at Sam in shocked surprise as his tone pompously announced, “For that.”

Sam watched with pride and adoration as Dean expertly backed a cement truck into place, stopping it only when Sam yelled, “Ho.”

Sam unhooked the brace holding up the end of the chute, allowing it to fall down. Dean walked to the back of the truck and the brothers worked in unison to move the delivery system over the open sewer entrance.

Sam smiled down at Jo with a superior twist to his lips, as the concrete poured into the hole.  She might get to sleep with Dean in the future, and maybe even capture his heart, but Dean would always be his brother, and that was a connection, she could never imagine the depths of.  It would have to be enough for him.  If Dean fell for her, Sam would have to step aside and let his brother be happy.  Sam loved him enough to not get in the way of that, no matter how much it would break Sam’s own heart.

Sam got to experience a little bit of vicious schadenfreude when a cab blocked the alley and Ellen came storming out of the back seat.  She began to berate and harangue Jo for being so foolish, in spite of her obvious relief over Jo’s survival.  But his happiness from Jo’s discomfort was short lived as it became clear that in the long uncomfortable ride back to the Roadhouse, Ellen was going to claim his rightful spot in the seat next to Dean in the Impala.  Sam was dismayed to realize he was stuck in the back seat with Jo.  His only comfort was that Jo didn’t get to sit next to Dean either.

The women stormed silently into the bar, once Dean pulled the Impala to a stop.  Ellen grabbed Jo by the arm as if the younger woman might make a run for it, as the brothers reluctantly followed them into the building.

Dean told Ellen it was his fault that all this had happened, that he was sorry for lying to Ellen, but that Jo had done really well during the hunt, and that her father would have been proud.  Ellen turned on him and told him not to say that, being strangely harsh towards the older Winchester.  It reminded Dean of the odd statement the older woman had made during one of the earlier phone calls about Dean’s not being the first Winchester’s promise to get someone back safely.  He was confused by her enigmatically pointed anger, but turned and followed Sam back outside when Ellen insisted she needed some time alone with her daughter.

Sam took up a perch on the hood of the Impala, quietly looking out over the land and trees in front of him and to the side, anywhere other than at his brother.  He was afraid if he looked at Dean and thought about him and how much he cared about Jo right now, he might cry.  He was unable to think of anything to say to Dean that wouldn’t lead to that potential betraying response from his nervous system at the moment. 

Sam was so fearful of losing his brother, but he also couldn’t stand the thought of getting in the way of anything that would make Dean happy.  His brother hadn’t had anything to hold on to or a home to call his own for so long, and Sam believed with all his heart that Dean deserved that.  His soul ached from wanting to be that for Dean, but with as dark and broken as Sam was, he felt he would never be enough for Dean, that he would taint everything they had together if Dean were to ever find out the twisted sick way Sam loved him.  Jo could be something good for Dean.  Jo could be something pure, as pure a thing as a hunter could have anyway.  It made him feel ill, but it didn’t lessen the truth of it.

Dean leaned against the roof of Baby over the driver’s side door.  He watched Sam’s back, saw the sad hunch of his shoulders and had no idea what was eating at the love of his life.  His own heart was feeling pretty good, he had saved Jo, gotten her back to Ellen safely and would gladly take whatever punishment Ellen wanted to throw his way.  He had let his feelings for Sam mess him all up inside and make him too soft on Jo.  That was on him, but now that she was back safely and his responsibility to watch out for her was over, he could put his attention back where it squarely belonged. 

Something was hurting Sam, and he had no clue what it was.  Sure the tension between Jo and Ellen was reminiscent of the fights between Sam and John, and that might be all it was, alongside the sadness of John being gone, and Sam being heavy over that, but something kept telling Dean there was more to it than that, in spite of Sam’s trying to convince him otherwise.  He longed to step up behind Sam, run his fingers through the hair that just kept getting longer and longer now that his father wasn’t there to give Sam grief over it.  Dean secretly loved it, wanted to tangle his fingers up in it and give a hard yank to see if it made Sam gasp.

If he was right, there might eventually come a day that he could try that out, but he didn’t want to count his chickens prematurely in that direction.  He could still be very wrong about Sam’s reciprocating his own desperate desires.  Sam was a deep well, and he couldn’t afford to get his reading of his brother’s feelings wrong.  He would not take the chance of losing him, unless he was absolutely sure of Sam’s desire.  He was miles from certainty.  So he just watched Sam from where he stood until Jo came marching out of the bar door, and canted her head to let him know she wanted to talk.  He peeled himself away from the car and caught up to the fuming blonde.

Sam watched silently as his brother began trying to talk to Jo.  He had excellent hearing and knew they would have to get quite a distance away from where he sat before he could no longer hear what was said between the two.  From her attitude it was clear she wasn’t happy, but not just with Ellen, the anger seemed to be aimed at Dean as well.  This intrigued Sam, making him hopeful that maybe all would not go well between the potential lovebirds.  He watched as Dean tried to grab her arm to get her to talk to him, but she yanked away and yelled out, “Get off me.”

Sam could tell that immediately rankled his brother who quietly, in what Sam recognized as his bitter hurt voice, said, “Sorry, I’ll see you around.”

Much to Sam’s delight, Dean turned on his heel and began to walk back towards the Impala. His long strides carrying him a good distance in Sam’s direction before Jo called out, “Dean.”

Sam’s hope fell as Dean turned away from him again to wait as Sam’s romantic rival walked towards his brother explaining that her dad had a partner on his last hunt.  She went on to say that he the guy that screwed up and got her father killed had been John Winchester.  Sam could tell it hit Dean like a bullet, his body physically reacted to the news.  Sam hurt for his brother, to find out that John, Dean’s hero, had somehow gotten Jo’s dad killed.  Sam knew his brother would be feeling guilt and anguish by proxy.  In that moment, he hated Jo even more, for putting that death unfairly at Dean’s feet.

Sam watched as Dean’s head fell from the weight of it.  Watched as Dean’s potential match walked away from him after breaking his heart.  Sam wanted to run after her and put a knife in her belly, but he just waited patiently for his brother to walk sadly back to him, his shoulders hanging heavy.  He followed Dean’s lead, silently climbing into the Impala so that Dean could drive them away.  Sam hoped Dean would open up to him about what had just happened when he was ready, until then, he would be here waiting.

**Author's Note:**

> So I hate Jo. Just thought you might want to know. She is a great character and is meaningful to canon, but I hate her. Yes it has everything to do with the special bond between her and Dean that I want only for Sam, and yes that makes me a spiteful child, but I don't care. 
> 
> That made this story challenging to get through for me. But I found another gem that made me smile so hard. In the scene where the 3 are going over the details of the case together around the table and Dean is pacing in the background. I was so surprised by the boys exactly timed breathy laughs over the throw away line of the janitor slipping and falling. If you haven't noticed it, go watch it right now, because their unison is AMAZING!!! These two men's ability to do things in unison, is just unreal and feels so natural and like what would actually happen after years of living in each other's pockets. They are just incredible!!! And I had never noticed this beautiful nugget before.
> 
> So I hope you like the way the Wincest part is progressing. Yes I know it is at a snail's pace and so very painful in all its angsty goodness, but at least there is noticeable progression. I am having to pay close attention to what I write versus canon. The more background and koda info I put in there myself, the more I have to be careful to maintain consistency with my part of the story. So please be sure to point out any inconsistencies that you find because I want this to be enjoyable to everyone and there is nothing worse than being yanked out of a story by a detail that isn't right that doesn't match from a previous part. Continuity is so important to me.
> 
> I love you all more than I can express and am so grateful for all the comments and kudos. They truly keep me going.


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